U.S. patent number 4,492,316 [Application Number 06/436,555] was granted by the patent office on 1985-01-08 for tablet dispenser.
This patent grant is currently assigned to The Boots Company PLC. Invention is credited to Norman R. Emms.
United States Patent |
4,492,316 |
Emms |
January 8, 1985 |
Tablet Dispenser
Abstract
A dispenser of dispensing tabets one at a time has a reservoir,
a chamber below the reservoir in which the tablets are arranged in
a single layer and a dispensing passageway which leads to a
dispensing orifice. The passageway is of such a width that a single
column of tablets can be accommodated. The passageway is defined by
portions of a moving slider member and can be moved from a
non-dispensing position to a dispensing position. In this latter
position the lowermost tablet is dispensed whereas the remaining
tablets in the column are retained in the passageway by a fixed
protuberance. One side of the passageway is resilient to minimize
tablet damage. The slider member is adapted to assist the passage
of tablets from the reservoir to the chamber.
Inventors: |
Emms; Norman R. (Welwyn Garden,
GB2) |
Assignee: |
The Boots Company PLC
(Nottingham, GB2)
|
Family
ID: |
10525389 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/436,555 |
Filed: |
October 25, 1982 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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Oct 24, 1981 [GB] |
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8132142 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
221/202; 221/264;
206/540; 221/243 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
83/0409 (20130101); B65D 2583/0481 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
83/04 (20060101); B65G 059/06 () |
Field of
Search: |
;206/540
;221/21,156,157,163,200,202,204,243,251,263,264,268,289,292,293,312C,312R |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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2538904 |
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Mar 1977 |
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8003303 |
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2922350 |
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Dec 1980 |
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3014806 |
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3016834 |
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Nov 1981 |
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3018041 |
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3022411 |
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2492343 |
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2496060 |
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789865 |
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Jan 1958 |
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1062013 |
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1062497 |
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1075697 |
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1281517 |
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1319761 |
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1385900 |
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Mar 1975 |
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1467703 |
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Mar 1977 |
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1486878 |
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2013636 |
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1604037 |
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Dec 1981 |
|
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|
2082147 |
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Mar 1982 |
|
GB |
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Primary Examiner: Skaggs; H. Grant
Assistant Examiner: Miller; Lawrence J.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Rosen; Lawrence
Claims
I claim:
1. A dispenser for dispensing tablets one at a time which
comprises
an outer casing containing a reservoir in which the tablets are
randomly orientated,
means for causing the tablets to be transferred from the reservoir
and to become arranged in a single layer in a chamber which feeds
the tablets into a dispensing passageway which is of such a width
that only a single column of abutting tablets can be
accomodated,
a slider mechanism, having portions which define the width of the
dispensing passageway, said slider mechanism being moveable within
the outer casing from a first position in which the column of
abutting tablets is contained within the outer casing and a second
tablet dispensing position in which the column of abutting tablets
is aligned with a dispensing opening in the outer casing, said
slider mechanism being provided with means whereby it is urged
towards the first position,
a projection which is fixed in position relative to the outer
casing in such a position that the projection is not aligned with
the column of abutting tablets when the slider mechanism is in its
first position but, when the slider mechanism is in its second
dispensing position, the projection is aligned with the column of
abutting tablets and is interposed between the tablet adjacent the
dispensing opening and the remaining tablets in the column to
retain the remaining tablets within the passageway so that only the
tablet adjacent the dispensing opening can pass through that
opening,
said means for causing the tablets to be transferred comprising a
serrated portion of the slider mechanism which is located adjacent
the exit from the reservoir and which, as the slider mechanism is
moved between the first position and the second, agitates the
tablets near the exit and causes some of the tablets to attain the
correct orientation to fall into the chamber, and
one of said portions of the slider mechanism which define the width
of the dispensing passageway being resilient so that in the event
of a tablet being trapped between said one of said portions and the
projection, said one of the portions will deform to minimize damage
to the tablet as the slider mechanism is moved from the first to
the second position.
2. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 in which said means for urging
the slider mechanism towards the first position comprises an
integrally-formed resilient finger on the slider mechanism.
3. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 which comprises an inner
member which is located within the outer casing, said inner member
having
sloping projections for directing tablets leaving the reservoir
towards the serrated edge of the slider mechanism, a first
projection which, together with the slider mechanism and the outer
casing, defines said chamber,
a second projection which carries the fixed projection and which
has a planar surface which forms one face of the dispensing
passageway,
grooves between the sloping projections and the first projection
and between the first and second projections which receive
corresponding flanges on the slider mechanism,
said first and second projections being so formed that in the
second and first positions respectively of the slider mechanism
they contact wall portions of the slider mechanism which separate
the flanges.
Description
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to containers for the storage and
dispensing of tablets. Such containers are herein after referred to
as dispensers.
The dispenser may be used for medicinal tablets or for tablets
containing an artifical sweetening agent, for example, saccharin.
In order that the medicinal dose or the degree of sweetening can be
controlled, a dispenser is required which dispenses tablets one at
a time. The present invention aims to provide such a dispenser.
SUMMARY OF THE THE INVENTION
The present invention relates more specifically to a dispenser for
dispensing tablets one at a time which comprises (a) an outer
casing containing a reservoir in which the tablets are randomly
orientated, (b) means for causing the tablets to be transferred
from the reservoir and to become arranged in a single layer in a
chamber which feeds the tablets into a dispensing passageway which
is of such a width that only a single column of abutting tablets
can be accomodated, (c) a slider mechanism having portions which
define the width of the dispensing passageway, said slider
mechanism being moveable within the outer casing from a first
position in which the column of abutting tablets is contained
within the outer casing and a second tablet dispensing position in
which the column of abutting tablets is aligned with a dispensing
opening in the outer casing, said slider mechanism being provided
with means whereby it is urged towards the first position, and (d)
a projection which is fixed in position relative to the outer
casing in such a position that the projection is not aligned with
the column of abutting tablets when the slider mechanism is in its
first position but, when the slider mechanism is in its second
dispensing position, the projection is aligned with the column of
abutting tablets and is interposed between the tablet adjacent the
dispensing opening and the remaining tablets in the column to
retain the remaining tablets within the passageway so that only the
tablet adjacent the dispensing opening can pass through that
opening and in which one of said portions of the slider mechanism
which define the width of the dispensing passageway is resilient so
that in the event of a tablet being trapped between said one of
said portions and the projection, said one of the portions will
deform to minimise damage to the tablet as the slider mechanism is
moved from the first to the second position.
The means for causing the tablets to be transferred and to be
arranged in a single layer in the chamber may comprise a portion of
the slider mechanism which is located adjacent the exit from the
reservoir and which, as the slider mechanism is moved between the
first position and the second, agitates the tablets near the exit
and causes some of the tablets to attain the correct orientation to
fall into the chamber. The portion of the slider mechanism may be
serrated.
The means for urging the slider mechanism towards the first
position may comprise an integrally-formed resilient portion of the
slider mechanism.
A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be illustrated by the following description of
an embodiment thereof which is given by way of example only and has
reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the components of
one embodiment of dispenser,
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an assembled dispenser,
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of one of the components shown in
FIG. 1 taken along the line III--III of FIG. 1,
FIG. 4 is a plan view of another of the components shown in FIG. 1
taken in the direction of the arrow IV in FIG. 1, and
FIGS. 5a and 5b are diagrammatic representations illustrating the
operation of the dispenser.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The dispenser as shown comprises four parts which are produced from
plastics materials for example by injection moulding. These parts
are a body portion 1, a lid portion 2, an inner portion 3 and a
slider portion 4.
The lid portion 2 interengages with the upper open end of the body
portion 1 in the embodiment shown. However, in an alternative
embodiment, the body portion 1 and lid portion 2 may be moulded in
one piece and connected by an integrally moulded hinge portion (not
shown). The body portion 1 is a generally cup-shaped member having
a peripheral wall 5 and a base 6 having a tablet dispensing opening
7. An opening 8 in the peripheral wall 5 and base 6 is provided to
enable the slider portion 4 to be manipulated when the assembled
dispenser is in use. The body portion may comprise any suitable
plastics material but polystyrene, polypropylene, ABS or
phenolformaldehyde are the preferred materials.
The inner portion 3 is a sliding fit inside the body portion 1 and
comprises a flat rear member which comprises two rectangular flat
members 9, 10. The upper flat member 9 together with the front wall
5b and the side walls 5a, 5c of the peripheral wall 5 and the lid
portion 2 defines a reservoir 11 in which a supply of tablets to be
dispensed can be stored. The lower end of the reservoir 11 is
defined partly by a line of sloping projections 12, 13 of which the
outermost projections 12 extend across the full width of the
interior of the body portion 1. The projections 12 may be angled so
that they also have a slope which directs tablets towards the
center of the dispenser. This alternative embodiment is not shown
in the Figures. The central projection 13 extends only part way
across the width of the interior of the body portion 1 and with the
front wall 5b of the body portion defines a rectangular slot in the
base of the reservoir 11 through which pass the tablets to be
dispensed. The lower flat member 10 is also rectangular but has
less width than the upper flat member 9 to leave a cut-away portion
at the right hand edge when the inner member 3 is in the
orientation shown in FIG. 1. The lower flat member 10 has two
projections. The first and uppermost projection 14 is sustantially
rectangular in shape and extends parallel to and below the line of
projections 12, 13 from the right hand edge of the lower flat
member 10, but it does not extend the full width of the lower flat
member 10. As can be seen more clearly from FIG. 3 the projection
14 has a stepped portion 15 which together with the projection 12
provides a guide to receive the slider component 4 as will be
described later. The projection 14 also has a generally trapezoid
projection 16 which provides a sloping ramp down which tablets to
be dispensed can move. Below the projection 14 is a further
projection 17 which is spaced from the projection 14 by a groove
18. The projection 17 has a tablet separating protuberance 19
extending from its otherwise planar upper surface. The inner
portion is preferably manufactured in one piece for example by
injection moulding. Suitable plastics materials include
polystyrene, polypropylene, ABS and phenolformaldehyde resins.
The slider portion 4 is provided with projecting plates 20, 21, 22
which are held in parallel spaced relationship by a front plate 23
and an end plate 24. The plates 21, 22 extend the full width of the
slider portion 4 whereas the uppermost projecting plate 20 extends
only partly across the width of the slider portion. In the
assembled dispenser the slider portion 4 is located on the inner
portion 3 with the uppermost projecting plate 20 located on the
stepped portion 15 of the projection 14, the plate 21 is located
within the groove 18 and the plate 22 is located below the
projection 17. The slider portion when assembled with the inner
portion 3 is able to slide from side to side but the amount of
travel towards the right as shown in Figures is limited because a
wall 25 of the slider portion contacts the projection 17 and the
amount of travel towards the left as shown is limited because the
end plate 24 contacts the right hand end of the projection 14. The
front plate is formed with a tablet dispensing opening 26 which is
bounded on one side by a resilient finger 27 which can flex into
the cut-away aperture 28. The opposite side of the opening is
provided with a slot 29 which receives the projection 19 when the
inner portion 3 is assembled with the slider portion 4. The slider
member has a spring member 30 which urges the slider portion to
move to the right as shown in FIG. 2. In an alternative the member
30 may be replaced by a spring. The upper surface of the plate 20
is serrated so as to cause agitation of the tablets to be
dispensed. The front wall 23 of the slider portion 4 has a sloping
ramp surface 31 located below the serrations in the plate 20. The
slider member 4 is preferably manufactured in one piece for example
by injection moulding from a plastics material such as acetal,
nylon, polypropylene or high density polyethylene.
The assembly and operation of the dispenser will now be described.
The slider portion 4 is placed on the inner portion 3 and these two
components are slid into the outer portion 1. The components will
then take up the positions shown in FIG. 2 with the end wall 24 of
the slider portion 4 extending through the opening 8 in the outer
portion 1. The reservoir 11 is then filled with tablets and the lid
portion 2 placed in position. It is intended that the dispenser
will be used in an upright position and that the tablets will be
right-cylindrical in shape. The dispenser would however also
function if the reservoir 11 was loaded with spherical pills. The
tablets will fall to the bottom of the reservoir and some of them
will fall through the rectangular slot in the base of the reservoir
into a generally triangular chamber defined by the projection 14 at
the rear, the front wall 5b of the body portion at the front and
the generally trapezoid projection 16 and the sloping ramp surface
31 of the slider portion 4 at the sides. The projection 14 and
front wall 5b is spaced so that the right-cylindrical tablets can
only be located in the triangular chamber with their planar
surfaces facing the projection 14 and front wall 5b respectively.
The tablets are agitated when the slider is moved relative to the
inner member 3 by the serrations in the plate 20 so that they take
up the correct orientation to fall into the triangular chamber.
From the base of the triangular chamber a column of tablets forms
in the passageway formed by the planar surfaces of the interior of
the front wall 5b and the projection 17 and the opening 26. The
column of tablets is prevented from falling because the lowermost
tablet contacts the base 6 of the outer portion 1. (FIG. 5a). As
the slider portion 4 is moved to the left as the user presses the
end wall 24 of the slider portion the column of tablets is also
moved to the left. The protuberance 19 separates the lowermost
tablet from the remainder of the tablets in the column and allows
the lowermost tablet to fall through the dispensing opening 7 in
the base of the dispenser whilst supporting the remainder of the
column within the dispensing passageway (FIG. 5b). As the slider
member is moved to the left the spring member 30 is deformed as
shown in FIG. 5b. When the user releases the pressure on the end
wall 24 the spring member reverts to the orientation shown in FIG.
5a. The tablets in the column then fall to fill the column with the
lowermost tablet in contact with the base of the outer member
1.
The protuberance 19 is shaped so that as the slider member 4 is
moved into the casing and the column of tablets is moved towards
the tapered leading edge of the protuberance, the column is
separated so that only a single tablet is transported to the
dispensing orifice. If however there are damaged or mis-shaped
tablets it is possible that the protuberance will not be aligned
with the space between the lowermost tablet and the one immediately
above it. Under these circumstances a tablet may be urged into
contact with the tapered leading edge of the protuberance which
could cause the tablet to be damaged. However the resilient finger
27 will flex under these conditions to minimize the damage done to
the tablet.
* * * * *